Journal
not slowing
down this
season

A lot of newspaper sports editors are writing columns this time of year, telling their readers what they’re planning to do this fall.
Some of them will try to obscure the fact that their papers aren’t going to be doing as much as they did last year.
That’s not a problem for the Daily Journal.
We’ll be ready as most of the area’s schools kick off football season on Friday night.
First thing, we’re still printing a Saturday newspaper. The other six days of the week, too.
And we’re also prepared to continue our ambitious coverage effort to bring you the details of as many games as possible each week.
This first week, there will be 28 games involving area teams.
Just keeping up with the scores of that many games is a chore. But other news organizations, including the Associated Press and the Clarion-Ledger, are depending on the Journal for that information. Social media, especially Twitter, makes the job easier, but good old-fashioned phone calls are also crucial to the process.
We’ll send reporters to perhaps eight games on most Friday nights, plus we’ll often talk to the coaches by phone after a couple of other games for smaller recaps. Most of all, we’re hoping every team – especially those on the road outside our circulation area – will be sure to call. The phone number – the same as last year – is listed on this page.
It’s important for teams to call as quickly as possible once a game has ended. We’re tracking most games with the help of Twitter – many teams now have official accounts – so we often know when a particular game ends. If you haven’t called within a half-hour or so, don’t be surprised if we call you. We’re persistent.
I pointed this out last year and I’ll say it again – Lafayette is usually the quickest team in the area to call in once a game is over – and that team has won 32 games and two state titles in a row. It could be karma or it could be coincidence, but it obviously doesn’t hurt.
Our team is ready for the first kickoff.
Whichever school you follow, we wish your team all the best this fall.
John L. Pitts (john.pitts@ journalinc.com) has been sports editor of the Journal since 2006. This will be his 10th football season at the paper.